1. Why are the scribes accusing Jesus of Blasphemy in v. 3?

2. What does Jesus mean by "But go and learn what this means: ‘I DESIRE COMPASSION, AND NOT SACRIFICE,’” in v. 13?

3. Based on v. 15, are we supposed to be fasting?

4. Looking at the later half of this chapter, what is the main form of this phase of Jesus' ministry?

5. Looking closer at v. 36-38, what is Matthew setting up here?

6. What are some of the complaints that the scribes and Pharisees starting to bring against Jesus?

7. What are the key ideas we can take from this chapter and apply to our modern context?

Hello everyone, and welcome to session 15! We are finishing out another major section of Matthew this session. As always make sure you pair this study with adequate fellowship, deepening relationships and allowing a space for vulnerability and open ended discussion in and out of the session.

1. Why are the scribes accusing Jesus of Blasphemy in v. 3?

   • Forgiving sins is something exclusive to God, and so by forgiving this man's sins Jesus is claiming divinity here!

2. What does Jesus mean by "But go and learn what this means: ‘I DESIRE COMPASSION, AND NOT SACRIFICE,’” in v. 13?

   • This passage comes from Hosea 6:6 and is all about how God does not want simple external service, but wants an inward faith. He desires faith, not just lip service!

3. Based on v. 15, are we supposed to be fasting?

   • Yes, yes we are and it's something many American churches overlook!

4. Looking at the later half of this chapter, what is the main form of this phase of Jesus' ministry?

   • This phase of Jesus' ministry is utterly defined by healing and casting out demons, something that is going to slowly shift as time goes on. 

5. Looking closer at v. 36-38, what is Matthew setting up here?

   • This is a shift in Jesus' ministry, He's going to be sending people out, preparing them for when He is no longer around.

6. What are some of the complaints that the scribes and Pharisees starting to bring against Jesus?

   • Blasphemy is the big one, as well as using demons to cast out demons, essentially rejecting Jesus' authority.

7. What are the key ideas we can take from this chapter and apply to our modern context?

Introduction

Hello everyone, this session we are finishing up a section of Matthew. Since the Sermon on the Mount Matthew has focused very heavily on healings and the faith of those around Jesus, this session's chapter finishes out that section and next session we will see Mathew's focus shift and Jesus begin combatting with the Pharisees.

If you remember from last session, we finished out with seeing Jesus get rejected over in the region of the Gadarenes after casting out some demons. Chapter 9 picks right up afterwards as Jesus gets back in the boat (presumably with his disciples) and heads back to "His own city" (Mt 9:1 NASB95) which is simply Capernaum (France, 169). 

The Paralytic Healed (9:1-8)

Once Jesus gets back to Capernaum some people (literally just a vague "they), bring a paralytic to Jesus. Jesus responds by declaring that this paralytic's sins are forgiven. This statement didn't go unnoticed, however, by the scribes that have seemingly been following Jesus since the sermon on the mount (remember the scribe in 8:19 that wanted to follow Jesus to the region of the Gadarenes). They hear Jesus' words and start formulating a claim that will follow Jesus all the way to the cross: blasphemy. Only God can forgive sins, so therefore they are thinking that Jesus is declaring himself God by forgiving this man's sins.  

Now here's the weird thing, they aren't entirely wrong, but at the same time are utterly wrong. They are correct that only God can forgive sins, and they are also correct that by forgiving sins, Jesus is declaring himself like God. So blasphemy is a very logical deduction for them, but there is one piece of this puzzle they are sorely missing: that Jesus is God. It is not as some suggest that Jesus never claimed divinity, this passage right here is a very subtle but undeniable claim. 

Jesus responds to these claims rather plainly. Forgiving the man's sins is truly the greater miracle here, but it's also an easier claim because it is by nature much more abstract. Jesus can say "your sins are forgiven" and nothing will visibly change, there is no real way of obtaining proof of the miracle. Thus it is an easier declaration. Yet to prove His claim that the man's sins are forgiven, to more or less offer proof that the greater miracle has been performed, Jesus performs the lesser miracle of telling the paralyzed man to stand, which the paralytic proceeds to do. 

Now I want to take a moment to discuss what Jesus calls himself in v. 6: "The Son of Man." A simple reading of this passage without contextual knowledge and/or commentary assistance will mislead one to think that any human can forgive sin. This is not what Jesus means in saying this. He is appealing to the title "Son of Man" which is reserved for the expected Messiah (see Daniel 7:13-14). Yet just this title alone would not bring the connotation of forgiveness, for that is reserved for God alone (see Jeremiah 31:34). So again there is a logical reason these Scribes are accusing Jesus of Blasphemy, because Jesus is absolutely claiming divinity here.

Now there is a small issues in v. 8 which reads: "who had given such authority to men." How are we to reconcile this passage with the fact that only God can forgive sin? Now might I suggest a solution. The men to whom this authority is given is Jesus' disciples and then the church to follow (France, 170; Turner, 135). We, as servants of Christ, are bearers of the good news that all men are forgiven by the blood of Christ. We may not declare forgiveness in quite the same way Christ does here, yet we do still declare others free of sin on the authority of Christ whom we serve. 

Matthew/Levi called (9:10-13)

Jesus leaves the scene and comes upon a man named Matthew, the same Matthew that is the author of this gospel. Jesus calls him into service and Matthew obeys and invites Jesus to his home for dinner. Of course Matthew has also invited a few friends as well: his friends being tax collectors and sinners. When the Pharisees see this they question Jesus' disciples about why this supposedly holy man is associating with the dregs of society. Jesus overhears this conversation and responds directly by suggesting that it is the sick who need a doctor, and so it is these dregs who need a holy man. 

Furthermore, Jesus tells them to go and ponder on Hosea on Hosea 6:6, that God desires compassion (or loyalty) rather than sacrifice. Hosea's main point was that the people had replaced love of God with ritual and external religion (France,172) . Thus Jesus brings to light here that these Pharisees have obsessed with external ritualism but have no inward love of God, a point He will draw out more and more as time goes on. Yet in contrast these tax collectors and sinners are those that God prefers, a people joyously coming around Christ out of inward love. As this is Jesus' point, his final "righteous" in v. 13 is surely ironic if not completely sarcastic.

On Fasting

Now some of John the Baptist's followers come up and ask why Jesus and His disciples aren't fasting on a regular basis like John's followers (and the Pharisees as well). Jesus responds by suggesting that their bridegroom is with them, referring to Himself, and that there is coming soon a time where He will no longer be with His disciples. Later on in the Church age His disciples are to fast, but Jesus directly being with them is no time to mourn, especially not like John's disciples are mourning, their leader having been taken prisoner and eventually killed. 

Jesus gives this analogy of wineskins and garments to primarily suggest that what will become Christianity must break out of the the old ways of legalism and external lip service to God that had come to define Judaism. Jesus does not seek to abandon Judaism, for as we read a few chapters back, He is the fulfilment of the Old Testament. Likewise we are not to cast it aside but are to maintain the heart of it all while casting off the inhibitions of legalistic tradition that would stifle the church to be. Something we see taken in more full when the new church in Acts declares that circumcision is not compulsory for gentile believers and that there is no longer any food being declared unclean. This is something we gentile believers today enjoy, especially considering 90% of my clothes are a blend of two fabrics. 

Closing out the section

Matthew closes out this section with a rather powerful set of healings. This is a twofold healing where an official comes out to Jesus, begging Jesus to heal his daughter who has just died. On their way to his house, a woman touches Jesus' garment and Jesus heals her of a hemorrhage. Then Jesus resumes His mission and comes upon the official's house and finds a funeral procession happening. He tells everyone to leave and goes up touches the dead girl, raising her to life. 

Then there is another bit here with two very audacious blind men who ask to be healed by Jesus, giving him the messianic title "Son of David." They are audacious because they follow Jesus into the house in which He is staying (probably Peter's again), and ask to be healed again. This time Jesus responds and heals them. Jesus demands they be silent, but word gets out anyways. 

Matthew also tacks on a mute and demon possessed man being brought to Jesus and being healed, the crowds being utterly amazed by Jesus' power and authority. Yet there is also a little tidbit here by the Pharisees, to which Jesus will respond later on and we will address it then.

Matthew then sums up by laying out that Jesus spent more time going around and healing and casting out demons. In His travels Jesus becomes concerned because these people are like a flock of sheep led astray and begins prepping his disciples to go out in pairs, which we will see more of next session.

Bibliography

France, R. T. Matthew: An Introduction and Commentary. Tyndale New Testament Commentaries. Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1985.

Turner, David, and Darrell L. Bock. Cornerstone Biblical Commentary, Vol 11: Matthew and Mark. Carol Stream, IL: Tyndale House Publishers, 2005.